Downtown Line Stage 2 contract awarded

The Land Transport Authority has awarded the first civil contract
for Stage 2 of the Downtown Line or DTL 2.

The $410 million contract is for the construction of the DTL
Depot off Woodlands Road and its associated tunnels.

It was awarded to a joint venture between a Singapore company
and a South Korean entity.

The 21-hectare depot will house the Operation Control Centre as
well as provide maintenance and other support facilities for
Downtown Line Stages 1 and 2.

Construction is scheduled to start in the first quarter of this
year and is targeted to complete in 2015.

DTL 2 is a 16.6 kilometre fully underground rapid transit system
with 12 stations and one depot.

It will run along the Upper Bukit Timah /Bukit Timah corridor
towards the heart of the city at Rochor Road, linking the
north-western part of the island to commercial, residential and
entertainment developments in the Marina Bay area.

01 September 2009: Award of Contract C913 - Station
at Hillview and Cashew and associated tunnels. Award of
Contract C920 - Stations at Newton and associated tunnels (7th
and 8th civil contracts for DTL2)

The Land Transport Authority has awarded the first civil contract
for Stage 2 of the Downtown Line or DTL 2.

The $410 million contract is for the construction of the DTL
Depot off Woodlands Road and its associated tunnels.

It was awarded to a joint venture between a Singapore company
and a South Korean entity.

The 21-hectare depot will house the Operation Control Centre as
well as provide maintenance and other support facilities for
Downtown Line Stages 1 and 2.

Construction is scheduled to start in the first quarter of this
year and is targeted to complete in 2015.

DTL 2 is a 16.6 kilometre fully underground rapid transit system
with 12 stations and one depot.

It will run along the Upper Bukit Timah /Bukit Timah corridor
towards the heart of the city at Rochor Road, linking the
north-western part of the island to commercial, residential and
entertainment developments in the Marina Bay area.

WORK has started on the second phase of the Downtown Line (DTL),
which will connect residents in Bukit Panjang and Bukit Timah to
the city.

Transport Minister Raymond Lim launched the start of
construction on Friday morning in a groundbreaking ceremony near
Beauty World Plaza.

The 16.6km DTL2 will have 12 stops and is expected to be
completed by 2015. It starts from Bukit Panjang, passes through the
Bukit Timah corridor and runs to Rochor.

From there, it will link up with the first phase of the line,
which loops around the Marina Bay area and the Central Business
District.

The new line is expected to cut travelling times by up to 30 per
cent.

Speaking to an audience that included Bukit Panjang and Bukit
Timah residents, Mr Lim said: 'Those who live, work and go to
school in this area will enjoy a completely new way to travel.'

Residents, however, would have to put up with a series of road
traffic diversions as the stations are constructed.

Upper Bukit Timah Road, for example, will be realigned from as
early as the fourth quarter of this year for the building of Beauty
World station.

However, the Land Transport Authority stressed that traffic
capacity will not drop as diverted roads will go through a
lane-for-lane replacement.

'As with other major rail construction projects, there will some
disruption and inconvenience... I seek the understanding of
residents, motorists and other commuters in this area,' said Mr
Lim.

The $12 billion Downtown Line is being built in three phases and
will be fully completed in 2016. The third phase will eventually
run to the eastern part of Singapore, passing through Macpherson
and ending at Expo.

SINGAPORE: Work on phase two of the MRT Downtown
Line (DTL2) started on Friday. When DTL2 opens in 2015, residents
and students along the Bukit Timah corridor can enjoy faster access
to the city area.

The S$12 billion Downtown Line consists of three phases. Phase one
of the line (DTL1) is on schedule to open in 2013, while tenders
for phase three of the line will be called next year.

The ground-breaking ceremony for the start of construction for the
DTL2 was held near Beauty World Plaza, one of the first sites to
begin work.

Transport Minister Raymond Lim was the guest-of-honour at the
ceremony. Representatives from six firms which won part of the 10
civil contracts were also present to give their pledge for work
safety.

DTL2 will run from Bukit Panjang, along the Bukit Timah corridor
and terminate at Rochor Station, where passengers can connect at
Bugis to DTL1.

60,000 students from 32 schools along DTL2 will also benefit when
it opens six years later. The schools include Zhenghua Primary and
Fajar Secondary at the northern end, and Lasalle SIA College and
the Singapore Management University (SMU) in town.

All 12 stations will be built underground, each with unique
designs.

Due to the presence of hard granite rocks at the depot area, the
Land Transport Authority (LTA) had carried out blasting work for
over a year, and it will employ the use of tunnel boring machines
for the rest of the line.

LTA CEO, Yam Ah Mee, said: "We are using 19 tunnel boring machines
to get the work done, all underground with minimal
disruptions."

But certain disruptions are unavoidable, especially when stations
are built using the cut-and-cover method.

Mr Yam said: "We also plan to minimise inconvenience to residents
by having very comprehensive engagement with the community as well
as very comprehensive traffic diversion plan at each of the areas
when work is being done."

LTA says the Rochor and Beauty World stations will have the most
extensive work, with Rochor Canal and Upper Bukit Timah Road to be
realigned.

But residents and merchants are happy that work on DTL2 has finally
begun.

Currently, residents along the Bukit Timah corridor will have to
take the bus and ride on the North-South or East-West Line to get
to town or the east.

However with the completion of DTL2 in 2015, their journey will be
reduced by 5 to 25 minutes, or up to 30% of the total travelling
time.

y Friend was working through an agency and when she was working only from 12 noon till 6pm. While working, she was informed by her colleague (lets name her Anna) that she was allowed to take the vouchers and the free items since CNY was coming to and end